Seattle’s waterfront is filled with many stories both told and untold. Since time immemorial, the Duwamish, Suquamish, Stillaguamish, and Muckleshoot People have resided here, fostering community on these shores and continuing to thrive to this day. The waterfront was also a place where ancestors from a myriad of backgrounds, cultures, and nationalities worked to build new lives after leaving the homes they once knew behind.

It’s been home to some of the darkest histories of exclusion, hate, and harm in this city. The waterfront has also been a place where people have come together to share, trade, and build new communities based in solidarity and resilience.

Here is a collection of some of those stories and histories, both good and bad. Through the voices, wisdom, and memories of those who have come before, we can continue to foster communal solidarity and resilience, and ensure Waterfront Park and all of Seattle’s waterfront neighborhood is welcoming and inclusive to the diverse communities of Seattle.

Navigate through the stories using the tiles below

Waterfront Histories illustration by Monyee Chau.